Siddig Tawir: ‘Role of Sudan’s Sovereign Council is honorary and limited’

Sovereign Council member Siddig Tawir described the role of the Sovereign Council as “honorary and limited”. He said that, according to the Constitutional Document, the prime minister is the head of state.

The Council of Ministers is the body that deals with peace, foreign relations and reform of the security services, Tawir stated.

“Any interpretation of the Constitutional Document that takes away powers from the Council of Ministers is not valid because the revolution broke out in order to establish a civilian government and to put an end to the situation that the president has all the power,” he said, addressing a video conference on transitional justice. “The Sovereign Council should not interfere in the files of the government, save with the approval of the prime minister.”

The Consitutional Document actually stipulates:

The bodies of the transitional government consist of the following:

(1) The Sovereignty Council, which is the head of state and symbol of its [Sudan’s] sovereignty and unity;

(2) The Cabinet, which is the supreme, executive authority of the state;

(3) The Legislative Council, which is the authority responsible for legislation and oversight over the executive’s performance.

Tawir described the delay in the formation of the Legislative Council and the Constitutional Court as “serious”. He said that the necessary reform of the justice and law enforcement institutions has been “subjected to serious sabotage”.

Tawir also said that a Sudanese model for transitional justice must be developed. Sudan must learn from other countries, he added.